SILENCE

I have neglected The Buddha Diaries for more than a week now.  Not sure what's going on with my writing mojo, but I'm not spending too much time agonizing.  I'm working on my new book of "skinny poems."  Here's one for today:


Our Family


Was it fear
that kept us

from talking,
those days

long ago?
Anger that stood

between us
and the simple

exchange of words
that exceeded

the common bounds
of necessity or

politeness? Was it
shyness, the fear

of blurting out
words that might

embarrass, or wound?
I remember mostly

our, yes!, unspoken,
conspiracy

of silence
on all things

that mattered.
As if only our

feelings did not.